SEATTLE, March 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- There's a new bartender in Seattle, and she wants your phone number. In fact, it's the only way she'll serve you a beer. Her name is Texterator, and she's the world's first text enabled beer keg.
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Texterator made her debut at GeekWire's annual Anniversary Bash and Ping Pong Tournament last Thursday. A screen behind the bar offered instructions to send the keyword BEER to Texterator's toll free number. Thirsty attendees could simply send a text from their mobile phones, the same way they'd text a friend, to order a free beer.
The beer bot served up a steady stream of orders, tipping each red Solo cup at just the right angle before pulling the tap handle. Next, she burned the owner's phone number into the side of the cup with a 1-watt, 450 nanometer wavelength laser.
Finally, when an attendee claimed a beer from the serving tray, Texterator snapped a selfie and texted them the picture.
Watch video: See Texterator in action
Text any phone number
Zipwhip, the software company behind Texterator, isn't selling robots. They built Texterator and her coffee-brewing cousin, Textspresso, to showcase the untapped potential of business texting.
Zipwhip can add texting to any existing business phone number. In this case it's a beer bot, but nearly every business has a landline, VoIP, or toll-free phone number. Zipwhip makes it possible for the estimated 150 million non-mobile business phone lines in the U.S. to text with the 330 million mobile phone numbers that have always had text capability.
Texting is already the most ubiquitous form of mobile communication, and Zipwhip expands that experience to every business phone number. Finally, businesses have access to the texting medium that consumers use every day.
Less sexy, more impactful
Zipwhip's offering was described by Forbes last year as "less sexy, but arguably more impactful" than the latest Silicon Valley darlings dominating the media. All mobile phones already support Zipwhip because it's simply text messaging. There's no app to download. As a result, Zipwhip's consumer install base in the U.S. is bigger than that of Facebook.
"From a consumer perspective, the experience couldn't be easier," says Zipwhip CEO, John Lauer. "Any person off the street can use Zipwhip, they already know how to check a text message. The future of consumer-to-business messaging is texting."
Businesses have shown they're willing to pay for that level of access to consumers. Zipwhip's monthly recurring business texting revenue was up 356% in 2015 from end of year 2014.
"Call or Text" - one number does it all
Both businesses and consumers are delighted by the seamless communication and real-time conversations that Zipwhip makes possible. One phone number does it all, and "Call or Text" is quickly becoming the main call-to-action for Zipwhip customers.
Consider Texterator. With a beer bot behind the bar, texts replace long lines. When you order too many beers in a row, Texterator lets you know. She supports group text, picture messaging, and scheduled reminders. She can chat with anybody with a phone. Her human handlers can cut in at any time to join the conversation or give Texterator a break, checking orders and firing off texts from any connected device, anywhere.
The same principles have transformed reception desks, logistics companies, and call centers into highly efficient, modern communication hubs. With Zipwhip, waiting on hold is a thing of the past.
About Zipwhip
Zipwhip, a Seattle-based business texting SaaS provider, pioneered the concept of utilizing the cloud to enable existing mobile, landline, and toll free numbers to send and receive text messages from any connected device. Additionally, Zipwhip offers a carrier-grade cloud texting platform to help mobile and landline operators modernize the texting medium. Its technology introduces trailblazing functionality while holding true to the distinct culture of texting that consumers have grown to love. https://www.zipwhip.com
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SOURCE Zipwhip
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